Return To Airithan
by WitchyWolf1
Summary: When Sasha was 12 years old she was forced to move away from her home and best friend Sable. She left with a promise to one day return. 15 years later Sasha is able to fulfill that childhood promise. Back in her childhood home, Sasha can only wonder how much her childhood friend has changed. Will they become friends again? Will Sable even remember her? llager/Sable
1. Memories

Chapter 1: Memories

The train sped through the countryside making the trees and grass lining the edges of the track look like nothing more than green blurs. Trunks and suitcases rattled in the overhead compartments as restless passengers talked to one another. One person however was not talking excitedly about where they were headed.

Sasha had a bench to herself and was currently asleep with her head resting against the cool glass of the window. It was not a peaceful sleep though. She was mumbling incoherently in her sleep drawing the attention of the couple that was sitting across the isle. Various scenes from her childhood flashed though her subconscious, some fleeting, while others seemed to drag on forever.

"Watch this Sable!" Sasha called out, her childlike voice high with excitement as she swung higher and higher on a playground swing set as her best friend Sable watched on with a small smile on her face.

"Be Careful," Sable called out just as Sasha launched herself from the swing and flew high into the air. Time seemed to slow down as Sable watched her friend reach the peak of her jump and begin to fall. She could tell by the way that Sasha started waving her arms wildly and yelling that she had no control over the fall anymore.

Sable knew it was bad the moment that she saw Sasha land and collapse to the ground with an agonizing scream. Sasha was writhing on the ground clutching her ankle with tears pouring out of her eyes and down her face. Sable ran over and knelt down by her best friend whom she did not know how to help, so she did the only thing she could think of. She started crying as well and screaming out for help.

The scene shifted. It was two months later and Sasha was sitting on the floor of Sable's parents house. It was Sable's birthday and a small pile of presents stood stacked on the floor against the wall. "Happy Birthday Sable!" Sasha exclaimed, passing a small, neatly wrapped package to her best friend with a smile. Sable took the present and tore the colourful paper off, her face full of excitement. "I hope you like it," Sasha said nervously.

Sable opened the small journal like book that now rested in her hands. Inside the small book were several flowers that had been pressed perfectly between the pages. The colours were stunning and Sable smiled wider than she had her entire birthday. They had picked the flowers together just a few days ago, and Sasha had asked her mother to help her put the present together.

Sable gently sat the book on a side table and hugged Sasha tightly. The hedgehog buried her face in Sasha's shoulder and whispered, "It's my favourite gift ever. Thanks you."

Back in the present day, the train hit a rough section of tracks, but it was not enough to rouse Sasha from her sleep. Sasha shifted in the seat and her face slid down the window ever so slightly. Her dream shifted once again, and for the last time Sasha's mind was transported back to her childhood memories.

"Isn't this exciting Sasha?" Her mother said while carefully loading another box into the back of a moving truck. "A whole new adventure is waiting for us in the city!"

"If you say so," Sasha responded, her voice cracking as she held back tears. It had only been 5 months since Sasha had given Sable the pressed flowers for her birthday and everything was changing. Her father had been offered a job in a large city far away and it was moving day. In the blink of an eye Sasha was being pulled away from everything she had ever known. The only home that she had ever known, and her best friend. Sasha was being torn away from it all. She glanced around at the surrounding houses, including the small house that Sable lived in with her family and Sasha couldn't hold back the tears. They spilled over and ran slowly down her face.

Just then Sasha's father walked out of the house carrying two boxes and sat them in the truck before looking at her. "What's wrong with you?" He asked harshly.

"I...I...I don't want to go," Sasha replied, struggling to get the words out.

"Stop your crying and grab a box," he demanded. "You're 12 years old! Too old to be crying like this." Sasha's mom opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off before the first syllable could be spoken. "I don't want to hear it. This is going to be good for all of us. We don't have anything in this tiny little town. Now finish getting the last of these boxes in so we can go!"

Sasha's mother didn't say anything. She just grabbed the rest of the boxes and began loading them in the truck, not even noticing that Sasha was crying harder now or that someone else had slowly walked up to watch.

Sable stood next to Sasha and just watched as Sasha's dad pulled the door down on the truck and climbed into the front. Sasha turned to look at her best friend and noticed that she was crying quietly too. Now knowing what to say, the two friends simply turned to face each other and embraced tightly. They held on to each other for several minutes, completely ignoring the sound of the truck starting. It wasn't until Sasha's dad started honking the horn and yelling for Sasha to get in that she spoke. "I'll come back one day," she vowed.

When Sasha finally climbed into the truck and her dad pulled away from the house all Sasha could do was to turn and watch her best friend waving sadly, her eyes full of tears. Sasha didn't know how long it would take her, but she would get back here one day.

A loud voice coming through an intercom jerked Sasha from her sleep. The voice caused her to jump up and smack the top of her head on the luggage rack. "Now arriving in Airithan station! Now arriving in Airithan station!" The voice called loudly and Sasha's heart began to race. It had been 15 years since her family had pulled her away from this small little town that she loved so much. 15 years since she had seen her best friend. Sasha couldn't help but wonder what had changed in the town as she pulled her single suitcase down from the rack when the train finally stopped. When the door slip open Sasha was the only one getting off at the stop. Her heart started racing faster, and Sasha closed her eyes as she stepped off of the train and into the tiny station. For the first time since she was 12 years old, Sasha was home.


	2. Home Again

Chapter 2: Home Again

Sasha opened her eyes and walked out of the small train station. The moment she took that first deep breath of the crisp autumn mountain air she knew she was home again. A cool wind was blowing off of the lake and rivers that flowed through the town. Sasha could tell that winter was soon to be arriving. The wind was brisk and the few residents that were walking around all had light coats on. Looking around, the first thing that Sasha noticed was that a number of new houses had been built over the past 15 years. Her own childhood home was a short walk away and she couldn't wait to see the old place. Sasha had penned a letter a couple of months back to see if anyone had moved in to the house and was relieved to hear that no one had lived in it since she had been forced to move all those years ago. Her thoughts drifted to her old childhood best friend Sable and Sasha couldn't help but wonder what the girl was up to these days. Did she still live in the same house? Were her parents still around? What was she doing with her life? Sasha decided those were questions that could be left until the next day. The sun quickly starting to set and she needed to pay a visit to old Tom Nook to see about getting into her old house. Bracing herself against the cool evening air she headed off, walking at a brisk pace, to the market district of the town that she had missed so much.

Market street had changed a lot. New stores had been constructed all up and down the cobblestone street. Sasha saw a large two story stone museum next to Nook's Homes and made a mental note to go check it out as soon as possible. The Able Sisters clothing store looked largely the same with the exception of a small add on shop that was connected. There were no lights coming through the large windows so Sasha assumed that they had closed up for the evening already. A giant shopping mall style building towered over everything else on the street. Things had certainly changed.

Sasha made her way down the street slowly, trying to take everything in. She didn't remember much of the street from her childhood, but knew that it used to be a lot smaller. Light spilled out of the small window on the door of Nook's Homes and a small bell jingled as Sasha opened it and walked in.

A small voice carried through the shop from a room in the back. "I'll be with you in just a moment," it said and Sasha knew already that it was Tom Nook. "Just have a seat anywhere."

Sasha took a seat in a hard wooden chair in from of a desk that had a fancy name plate on it that read T. Nook. Miniature modes of home designs lined various tables, everything from one story single person homes to what looked to be models of large elegant mansions. A thin layer of dust coated all of the models. Sasha saw the model that her old childhood home was built after and it made her long to step through the doors.

A few minutes passed and finally Tom Nook emerged from the back room. He looked quickly around the shop before his eyes fell upon Sasha. "Welcome to Nook's Homes! How can I help you this eve..." Nook's face lit up as he saw who was sitting in the chair. "Miss Sasha!" Tom Nook gushed as the raccoon rushed over to give Sasha a quick hug. "I could hardly believe it when I received your letter. Why I remember you were just a wee little thing when your family moved away. I am so happy to see you back here in Airithan!"

"It's great to finally be back Mr. Nook," Sasha smiled and looked around again.

"Oh, just Tom I think," Nook said walking over to the door. He held it open for Sasha. "I know you must be tired after the train ride, so shall I show you to the house?"

Sasha nodded and walked out. The sun had all but vanished over the horizon. It was looking to be a clear night and she could already see stars dotting the sky. The air was becoming even more chilly as the wind picked up. Only a few shoppers were still straggling in the market and they were all starting to zip up their jackets.

As they walked through the small village Sasha didn't see anyone walking around, but did notice that several of the houses had plumes of smoke rising from chimneys. Some of the animals must have lit their fireplaces already. She didn't want to think about how cold the old house would be when she stepped in it. The two of them walked at a leisurely pace along the river until they crossed a small stone bridge to the south side of town. Sasha could hear the sounds of waves crashing against the shore in the distance and her mind instinctively went to all the times that she and Sable would spend fishing and swimming in the ocean shallows. She made a mental note to purchase a fishing rod as soon as she could.

When they reached the old house Tom Nook produced a small metal key out of his pocket and tuned it in the lock effortlessly. The door opened with a loud creak and a flood of memories rushed into Sasha's head. Sleepovers and play dates. Birthday parties and building blanket forts. Drinking coco by the fire and reading books.

The house was colder than she thought it would be, but a large bed sat pushed against the corner of the room. "I took the liberty of having a bed delivered when you wrote to say that you were coming home," Nook said with a small smile.

"Thank you. I promise to get you the money as soon as possible," Sasha said, relieved that she would at least have some place to lay her head that night.

Tom Nook reached up and touched her shoulder gently. "Take you time my dear. There is no rush." He gave Sasha a slight bow and opened the door again. "I know you must be tired my dear, so I will let you get settled and will see you soon." He walked out and just before closing the door Tom gave her one more small smile. "It's good to see you again."

Sasha flipped the light switch on and the room was suddenly illuminated with a low warm light. A small pile of wood lay next to the fireplace and she could only assume that was also Tom Nooks doing. She grabbed a few pieces and gently placed them in the old brick fireplace. A moment later a large fire was spreading it's warmth through the small house. Sasha looked at the large suitcase that was leaning against the wall and determined that it could wait until the next day. A few small things had been left behind from her childhood. A small cabinet that she could use to store clothes and a few small kitchen items. All of them were covered in a thin layer of dust. She would have to give the place a good scrubbing. As tired as Sasha was and as inviting as the bed looked, she was not ready to sleep just yet. The house was not yet completely warm and she felt the need to take a walk through the town, so she stepped out of her house and back into the cold night air.

Sasha was so tempted to walk by Sable's old house just to see if the Able family still lived there, but decided to leave that for another day. It was starting to get late after all. Instead she made her way to one of her favourite childhood spots. The tall cliff that towered over the beach had always been a town favourite. The smell of the ocean water brought back so many memories. Despite how high it was the wind still carried a cool mist up to her face. Without even thinking, she sat down and let her legs hang over the edge and just stared out into the endless ocean, the wind stinging her face. Sasha had longed so much to get back here, but now that she had finally made it she suddenly felt anxious. She once again found herself wondering how much her childhood friends had changed or if some of them even still lived here. Surely a few had probably moved away. It didn't matter though, she had made it back. She had kept her promise from 15 years ago. Sasha lay back on the cool damp grass and just stared up at the sky for what seemed like hours. "I'm home," she called out to the night sky, perhaps a little more loudly than she meant to.


	3. Reunited

Authors Notes: I am so sorry that it took me this long to get this chapter written and posted. I managed to break my finger pretty badly at work one day and it made it quite difficult to type. It's still broken, but I am still writing and hopefully will be able to get the next chapter up quicker than this one. Thanks for understanding and reading.

Chapter 3: Reunited

Sasha was awoken in the early hours of the morning by a tremendous crash of thunder that shook her whole house. It startled her so much that she nearly fell out of the bed. She rolled over and squinted at the small clock that hung on the wall and saw that it was not even seven in the morning yet. Sasha contemplated rolling over and trying to grab another hour or two of sleep considering how late she had stayed out on the ocean side cliff the night before, but she knew that today was going to be a busy day for her even with the rain coming down. She got up out of bed and shivered as the cold floor send chills through her feet and into the rest of her body. Why didn't she think to at least unpack her slippers? The sound of the rain echoed off of the tin roof and Sasha had to wonder how she even managed to sleep through what she did. She walked over to the door and risked opening it and was immediately blasted in the face with stinging cold rain drops. The wind was howling hard and Sasha had to fight it just to shut the door again. She looked over at the large suitcase and the small cabinet for clothes and figured that she might as well get what little unpacking she had to do done and hope that this rain would move out before she had to go to town.

A few hours later when Sasha was fully unpacked and dressed for the day, a fairly modest skirt with leggings and a black tee shirt, the rain had not let up at all. If anything it had gotten worse. There was no sign of the sun or any daylight at all for that matter. The black and gray clouds looked to be at a standstill which meant that this storm was probably here to stay for the day. That was unfortunate as Sasha did not own any kind of umbrella and the things that she needed to do she didn't want to put off another day. Sasha laced up her boots and sipped up her light jacket before opening the door, getting blasted in the face with more rain, and stepped out into the gloomy wet weather.

It was worse than she thought. Within seconds Sasha's hair was plastered to her face and she was soaked through her clothes. From what Sasha could see she was the only one outside right now. She took off at a brisk pace, water from puddles splashing up and into her boots soaking her socks. Smoke plumed out of fireplaces and Sasha found herself envious of the animals that were cozy and warm in their homes while she was wetter than she could ever remember being in her life. When Sasha hit the stone bridge that led across the creek her boots lost traction and caused her to lose her footing. The resulting fall left her hands scraped and bleeding slightly while the knees of her leggings shredded. She lay there, face down on the cold wet stone bridge wondering why she even left her house. Sasha tried to tell herself it was because she needed to get some things for the house, but she knew that it could have waited until the weather was better. The real reason, she told herself, was that she didn't want to wait another day to try and see Sable.

Sasha drug herself to her feet wincing at the scrapes on her hands and knees. She took her walk to the market street at a slower pace now, not wanting to have another fall. Also figuring that she couldn't get much more wet than she already was. It also gave Sasha more time to think not only about what she needed to get for the house, but what she would say to Sable as well.

It was a painfully long and wet walk to finally reach market street and Sasha only saw a few shoppers through the shop windows. The lights from the Able Sisters clothing boutique shined brightly through the window and Sasha had to resist the urge to run straight through the door. That would be for after her shopping was finished she told herself.

A bored looking raccoon standing against a tiled wall looked up when Sasha entered T&T Emporium and gave her a small smile. "Welcome to T&T," he said only sounding half as bored as he looked. "My name is Timmy, is there anything that I can help you with on this rainy day?"

Sasha smiled and pulled out a soaking wet piece of paper out of her jacket pocket. Unfolding it, she saw that the entire list of items had turned into one giant blob of purple ink. She sighed somewhat sadly and tossed the paper in a bin marked for recyclables. It was a good thing that she had most of the list memorized. "I actually had a list of things, but that got ruined," Sasha said. "I just moved back here after 12 years gone and my house is kind of sparse right now so is there anyway that I can place an order of some things to be brought to me at home?"

"Absolutely!" Timmy said walking briskly over to Sasha. "We have an entire electronic catalog that contains all of what we carry in the store and even more that we can only order. So what are some of the things that you are looking for Miss..." Timmy trailed off not knowing her name

"Sasha," Sasha said smiling. "Just Sasha, no miss."

Timmy nodded and motioned to a large machine sitting in the corner of the store near a large wooden staircase. "Well then Sasha, if you would like to step over this way I will be happy to show you some of the furnishings that we have available."

Sasha stepped over to the machine and watched as Timmy pawed at the screen and a list of items with photos appeared. There was more than she anticipated and she spent almost a full hour looking through various things from a television and radio to an intricate sofa and tables. She finally settled on a beautiful black and purple living room set, a glass dining table, and all new steel cookware. It was way more than she had wanted to spend, but Sasha had been saving for a while now, knowing that one day she would need these things. She waited for Timmy to finish helping another animal who was looking to redo the wallpaper in her house before she motioned for him. She showed him her selections and he nodded in approval making a note of the total cost of everything and took the charge card that Sasha held out to him. Timmy informed her that it could take up to 4 days for her furniture to be delivered and Sasha nodded. She could make do with what she had until then. Sasha grabbed a small umbrella off of a table and paid for that separately with a few bells that she had on her person and after bidding Timmy farewell she stepped back out into the rain, opening her new purple umbrella and made her way to the shop that she had been looking forward to the most.

The new umbrella did a fine job of keeping Sasha dry as she glanced through the window of the Able Sisters Boutique. Despite the chill in the air and still being wet from earlier, Sasha felt a little warm. She was nervous to see her childhood best friend for the first time in 12 years. Though at the moment the only one she saw in the shop was Sable's little sister Mable. Mable was helping a pretty female wolf pick out a new shirt from a small collection that was piled on a corner table. Taking a deep breath, Sasha pushed open the door to the shop and stepped in as a tiny bell above the door chimed to signal that someone had just walked in.

"Welcome to the famous Able Sisters Boutique!" Mable said without turning around. "Feel free to browse to your hearts content and please let me know if there is anything you would like to try on or if you have any questions."

Sasha thanked her and looked around the shop. It was bigger than she remembered. Racks and tables of clothes lined the walls and center of the boutique. Pants and shorts, skirts and dresses, shirts of every kind from cute graphic tee shirts to fancy dress shirts and blouses. Sasha could see herself spending quite a few bells in here. She already had her eye on a pair of black pants that looked to be intentionally ripped around the knees. Her eyes moved over to a small table in the corner where a sewing machine sat currently unused. She wondered if that was where Mrs. Able worked designing clothes.

Mable finished helping the wolf and took the money for the shirt before turning her full attention to Sasha. "So what brings you in today miss?"

Sasha looked up from the pants that she had been looking at and met Mable's eyes. She had grown up from the little girl that she had known all those years ago. It was not surprising that Mable didn't recognize her. "I was actually wondering if Sable was around," Sasha said quietly, but still loud enough that her voice carried across the shop.

"She's in the back working on something at the moment," Mable said, "but I can see if she can spare a few minutes. Who should I tell her is asking for her?"

Sasha's heart pounded a little harder. "Sasha," she said simply.

Mable nodded and talked through a small wooded door that led to the back to the boutique. Two voices carried through the open door and a few minutes later Mable walked back in followed closely by her older sister, Sasha's childhood friend Sable. Sable looked tired, like she hadn't slept in a couple of days. She stifled a yawn and squinted her eyes at the bright lights in the shop. The same freckles that had dotted her cheeks when they were younger still stood out prominently. Sasha's face burned red as she saw that Sable had become even more beautiful.

For a moment Sable looked irritated at the interruption of her work, but that looked faded the moment that she laid her eyes on Sasha. Her face lit up as she took a small step towards Sasha and stopped. "Is it really you?" She asked quietly, seemingly unsure that Sasha was really standing there.

Sasha nodded and smiled taking a step towards Sable not believing that they were finally seeing each other again.

"Oh my gosh!" Sable gushed and took off running through the shop as quick as her paws would move in the direction of Sasha. A few feet away, Sable launched herself at Sasha wrapping her arms around her and the two crashed to the floor in a heap, Sable smiling and laughing just like they were kids again. "12 years!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe it's actually you!"

Sasha laughed and the two pulled themselves up off of the ground as Mable looked on looking as confused as possible. When Sable looked over at her little sister and saw the look on her face she just smiled. "Mable, you know Sasha. She was my best friend growing up! I told you all about her, you were young so you probably don't remember when she moved away."

Mable nodded. "I just remember you being so sad. There was nothing that anyone could do for the longest time to cheer you up."

Sasha's heart broke at that. She understood all too well what Sable felt back then as Sasha had felt it herself. For the first year after the move all Sasha had wanted to do was just to stay locked up in her room. She didn't even try to make friends in the city for quite some time. It wasn't until one day that Sasha walked to a coffee shop that she had met a group that took her in. She didn't know what she could possibly say to that, but Sable saved her by just waving off the concerned look that she had.

"So, if you're in town visiting we have to get together for coffee or something," Sable said excitedly. "Catch up on everything that's happened to us. So how long are you here?"

The question made Sasha smile wide. It was still hard to believe that she was finally back home and she knew telling Sable would make it real. "That's just it," she said trying to control her smile, "I am not just visiting. I'm back. I got back yesterday evening. I'm home for good."

"You're joking!" Sable exclaimed loudly. "No, you better not be joking! Tell me that you are serious." When Sasha just nodded and smiled Sable threw her arms around her in a tight embrace once again.

"No joke," Sasha said hugging her friend back. "We have so much to catch up on."

"We sure do. Tonight after I close up. Are you staying in your old house? I can come by if that's okay."

"Absolutely!" Sasha said happily, already starting to count down the time. "I can hardly wait."

Sasha bid the Able sisters bye with the promise that she would be coming in to buy some clothes very soon. She stepped out of the boutique and out into the rain, opening her new umbrella she made the long wet trek back to her house all the while looking forward to the moment that Sable would knock on her door. All seemed well with the world.


	4. Sable's Story

Chapter 4: Sable's Story

The time ticked by at a snails pace as Sasha patiently waited for Sable's arrival. The rain finally moved out just before the sun started setting, though it stayed heavily overcast so Sasha couldn't even enjoy the sunset. The temperature dropped drastically to the point that the fireplace was not even keeping the house warm and Sasha thought to the space heater she had ordered. It couldn't come in fast enough. She wondered if they were about to start having snow. It was still a little early in the year for it, but you never know. Sasha turned her small coffee maker on and savored the smell of the dark hot liquid as it brewed slowly. When it was done she poured herself a cup and slowly sipped at it trying to stay warm.

It didn't take Sasha long to drink her way through the entire pot of coffee and start contemplating making another one. To pass the time she decided to pick through her small supply of books and see if anything caught her eye enough to reread.

It was a little after 9 PM when Sasha heard a soft knock at the door. Her heart started racing as she knew that Sable had arrived. She couldn't figure out why she felt so nervous though. Everything had gone great at the boutique and Sasha had been looking forward to this all day, so none of it made any sense. She got up and made it to the door in just a couple of steps. Sable's tired but smiling face greeted her when Sasha opened the door and she smiled back just as wide.

Sasha stepped back and motioned for Sable to enter. "Welcome to my well stocked humble abode," she said laughing.

Sable stepped across the threshold and laughed as she looked around. "Traveled light I see." She handed Sasha a piping hot to-go cup of coffee. "We didn't have Brewsters here when you left, but you have to try it. Best coffee ever."

It only took one sip for Sasha to know that Sable's statement about the coffee was an accurate one. The hot liquid slipped down here throat and it was paradise. Nothing that she had in the city compared. She let out a soft moan and Sable just smiled. "You're so right," she said. "Best coffee ever."

Sable took another look around the house. "It feels good to be back in here," she said. "No one has been here since you left. Must feel good for you too."

"It is, and it'll be even better when I get this place stocked. This place is like a dungeon right now."

"At least it a semi warm dungeon," Sable responded smiling and taking a sip of coffee.

"Warm might be pushing it a little. Feel like taking a walk?" Sasha asked

Sable nodded and took a step towards the door. "A walk could be nice. Maybe down to the beach for a little bit?"

Sasha grabbed her coat and offered Sable a spare that she had to which Sable took gratefully. The two of the walked out the house and into the cold night. The temperature was starting to drop more as it got later and looking up Sasha wondered if it would snow. She had missed the snow growing up. After her parents took her away to the city she had not seen it. Being in the south it had stayed warm pretty much year around.

It was a pleasant walk despite the wet chill in the air. Neither Sasha nor Sable were saying anything. The two just seemed to be enjoying each other company. Sasha kept noticing that Sable seemed to be inching her paw closer to her hand as they walked and it both made her nervous and excited for some reason. When they got to the edge of the beach Sasha slipped out of her boots and socks letting the cool wet sand slip between her toes. It felt oddly good despite the coldness.

Halfway down to the water Sasha stopped and flopped down on the ground and looked up at Sable smiling. Sable sat down next to her and placed her hand just inches away from Sasha's. Turning to face her she said softly, "So how was the big city?"

Sasha inched closer to Sable and tried to think of a way to describe her life away from Airithan. It took her several minutes to just come up with one word. "Busy," she finally said unable to come up with anything better. "Once I finally pulled myself out of the depression of leaving everything behind here it was just so busy. Everything just moved so fast and not in a good way. It was like nobody could sit still or slow down. I actually hated most everything about it for the most part. The shopping was nice, but it was mostly high end designer stuff and as you can tell not my style at all."

Sable just sat there and listened to everything that Sasha was saying, soaking in every word and just simply enjoying the sound of her voice. She had missed Sasha more than she could even say and the way she was feeling right now was beyond description. She felt completely and utterly at peace, but at the same time dreaded having to tell some things to Sasha. Sable knew that Sasha had been close to Sable's parents and was sure that she did not know yet. She inched her paw closer to Sasha's hand to the point that they were just mere centimeters away from each other. Sable wanted so badly to just grab her hand and hold it, but was scared of how Sasha would react. Would she pull away, did she even feel the same way? Sable had felt this way since before Sasha had moved, but had never said anything out of fear. Tears started spilling from her eyes as all of the emotions that Sable was feeling boiled over.

As soon as Sasha saw Sable crying she stopped talking about the city. "What's wrong?" She asked concerned. "I haven't upset you I hope."

"No, nothing like that," Sable said, her soft voice breaking. "It's just that so much has happened in the years that you've been gone and it hurts so much. I'm just an emotional wreck right now."

Sasha touched her hand and Sable's heart seemed to skip a beat. "What is it?" she asked Sable.

Sable looked down at Sasha's hand on hers and spoke, her voice breaking and somewhat hard to understand. "After you left I fell into a deep funk. I didn't want to even leave the house." Sasha nodded knowing exactly what she meant. "I had just missed you so much that I didn't know what to do with myself. Not long after that something terrible happened." Sable finally looked up and back into Sasha's eyes. "My parent's died," she said and buried her face in Sasha's shoulder.

"No," Sasha said shaking her head, unable to believe it. How had she never found out? The tears started flowing freely as the two girls just hung on to one another.

"I felt like I had lost everything," Sable went on. "First you had to leave and then my parents. Label and I were left all alone to raise poor Mable. We had nothing. Very little money to even get by. We of course kept the clothing boutique going, and eventually changed the name of it to what it is now, but even with us running the shop we barely managed to get by. And then one day Label came to me and said that she was leaving. I guess it all became too much for her, but she had told me that she was leaving for a big city. She had said that she wanted to make a name for herself and be known for something outside of our small town."

She took Sasha's hand in her own, blushing slightly and her pulse quickened even more. Sasha squeezed her hand gently and urged her to continue on. "I was completely alone except for Mable. And I felt like I was neglecting the poor girl because I spent all of my time working just to try to keep us fed. Mable acted like she understood, but I knew she was lonely and miserable. I tried to get her to go play with the others around town, but she just didn't seem interested. She eventually came to work in the boutique with me which was a huge help. She would work on helping everyone who came in and I mostly did the designing and making. I wanted more for her." Sable looked up at the cloudy sky and out across the ocean. "I guess I still want more for her," she went on, "but Mable says she loves where she is at. Label eventually came back of course, but had started going by the name of Labelle. Told me that was what she had been called by some high end fashion designer and decided to use it as her brand. She works with us now and wants the Labelle brand to be known all throughout the world and I want that for her."

Sasha looked at her friend, who had been through so much, more than anyone at their age should have ever had to go through. She looked at Sable and felt envious of the pure strength that she had to overcome everything. She was in awe, full of love and adoration for Sable. For sure, Sasha had never been really happy where her parents had taken her, but she eventually started making the best of it. But Sable, she had lost everything. Her childhood had been torn away from her. That, by comparison, made Sasha's childhood seem like paradise. Sasha vowed silently to herself that Sable would never have to go through anything alone again. Yes, Mable was now grown and Label had returned, but Sasha would always be there for her as well. She clutched Sable's hand tightly and looked out over the ocean, finally understanding why she had been so nervous and why her heart started racing the moment that Sable touched her hand. She could feel Sable's eyes on her, felt her hand in her own and it made her happier than she could ever remember being. Sasha turned once more to look at Sable and opened her mouth to speak, but Sable simply smiled and shook her head. She knew that no words needed to be said. They were together once again and nothing would break them apart. Sasha wrapped her arms gently around her and pulled her close, still staring into Sable's eyes. Unable to form any words to convey what she was feeling, Sasha just closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Sable's. Her heart exploded with happiness. It was a feeling of pure bliss and ecstasy. Sasha never wanted that moment to end, but of course it did.

Sable pulled back after a moment and just looked at her. "You've no idea how I longed for that," she said and Sasha could only nod in agreement as words were lost on her. Sable smiled and still holding her hand stood up. For the longest time they just stood there, hand in hand, staring out across the ocean thinking about how much had changed and what they future would hold. The only thing that either of them knew for certain is that whatever happened, they would be in it together always.

Author's final notes:

I want to thank all of you that have read this story and hope that you enjoyed it. It didn't come out as I had originally planned as I somehow managed to lost every single note and outline that I had for it so I pretty much winged this from the beginning. It also took longer to write as I injured my hand and have not been able to type like I normally do. I will say that I am not completely happy with how this one turned out, but still hope that you enjoyed this short journey and thank you again for reading along. I do have a sequel planned, but that will be down the road after I finish another project or two. Thanks once more time for reading

~WitchyWolf~


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